Household refrigeration



y 1940- 9 L. F. WHITNEY 2.199.976

HOUSEHOLD REFR IGERATION Filed June 1, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 wi l A tag:

May 7, 1940. L. F. WHITNEY HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATION Filed June 1, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 7, 1940- L. F. WHITNEY 2,199,976

HOUSEHOLD REFR IGERATION Filed June 1, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fga.

fizz/an er ZyI/zaiaZ Wn y Attjs May 7, 1940. 1.. F. WHITNEY v HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATION File d June 1,1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATION Lyman F. Whitney, Cambridge, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Stator Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 1, 1938, Serial No. 211,166

13 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved refri erating unit, to a cabinet to receive such a unit, and to the combination of the unit and cabinet. More particularly the present invention provides a unit in which refrigerant is pumped by an aspirator and affords such a unit which may readily be combined with a cabinet of suitable design.

More specifically, the unit may include a refrigerating system of the general character disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,761,551 to Eastman A. Weaver. Such a system is provided with a boiler for propellant fluid, with pumping means of the aspirator type, with a cooler, and with a condenser assembly. In accordance with this invention, such a system is incorporated in a refrigerating unit wherein certain of the parts which are normally at high temperature may be properly insulated and wherein the condenser assembly may be arranged to facilitate cooling and, more especially, air cooling. The component parts of the system are furthermore so arranged that they may be compactly installed in a refrigerating cabinet. The cabinet itself may include a food compartment, a lower chamber, a rear space communicating with the lower compartment, and with an upper chamber. lower part of .the unit may be receivedin the lower compartment and the aspirator assembly may be disposed in the rear space while the condenser assembly may be disposed in the upper chamber.

Preferably the unit and cabinet are so arranged that' the various parts of the unit may be assembled before the unit is disposed in the cabinet. This is particularly advantageous in a refrigerating system of the character described, since such asystem is preferably evacuated, and accordingly the various intercommunicating portionsthereof may be provided by welded ducts, chambers, pipes, tubes, and the like to provide in effect a single integral assembly. Such an assembly may be conveniently manufactured and assembled with the auxiliary parts of the unit before the unit is shipped to the point of installation. The unit, its auxiliary parts and the cabinet may be assembled as an integral assembly before shipment, or, if desired, the cabinet may be shipped to the point of installation sep- 50 arately from the unit. The unit may then be located in place and evacuated before assembly with the cabinet.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a typical cabinet constructed in accordance with this invention;

The-

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the unit ready for assembly with the cabinet;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the unit;

Fig. 5 is an isometric detail of a portion of the 5 unit;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the cabinet, with parts broken away and with parts shown in section, and in dotted lines. showing the unit assembled with the cabinet;

' Fig. '7 is a vertical section of the assembly shown in Fig. 6, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the condenser assembly and related portions of the unit and cabinet;

Fig. 9 is an isometric detail of a portion of the unit;

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of a portion of the condenser assembly, being somewhat diagrammatic in character, with parts removed and parts indicated by dot and dash lines;

Fig. 11 is a similar view of another portion of the condenser assembly; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail of the assembly shown in Fig. 7.

In accordance with this invention, a cabinet 5 may be provided with opposite side walls I and with a lower removable closure 2 affording access to a lower chamber. Above the closure 2 there is a large door 3 to afiord access to the food compartment of the refrigerator. Above the food 30 compartment the cabinet may-be provided with an upper housing or chamber 5 having side wall portions i removably secured on the side walls I and having a removable front closure 6.

Figs. 3 and 4 particularly show a refrigerating 3 unit, including a refrigerating system of the aspirator type, which is adapted to be received by a cabinet such as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The refrigerating system is of the general charac'.er disclosed in the above-identified Weaver patent and includes a burner assembly 10, a boiler H for propellant such as mercury, a propellant' riser duct i2, and an aspirator assembly l4. As shown, this assembly may be of the twostage type and may be provided with an interstage cooler I 5. Fig. 9 shows the inter'stage cooler in greater detail. Vapor received from the end l6 of the first-stage funnel passes upwardly through a chamber I1 and then through a duct I8 to a drum l9, and vapor as well as condensed propellant may pass from the latter through a duct 20. The drum H, the duct l8 and the duct 20 preferably are provided with large metal cooling fins ll, l8 and 20, respectively.

The aspirator assembly is provided with various drains to receive the condensed mercury and a portion of this mercury may pass into a purger 2| of the type fully disclosed in copending application Serial No. 167,402 of Lyman F. Whitney, filed October 5, 1937. From the purger, mercury may pass through a return duct 22 to the boiler. Also additional mercury may be received by the duct 22 through a drain 23 which is connected to portions of the aspirator assembly as well as to a trap assembly 24 associated with the cooler 25.

The latter. is connected by a large vapor pipe 26 to the head of the first-stage aspirator and is associated with a hollow box-like closure 21 which contains certain portions of the piping of the apparatus and which is adapted to be received in an opening in the rear wall of the food compartment. From the second-stage aspirator assembly the compressed refrigerant vapor may pass upwardly through a duct 30 to the refrigerant condenser 3| .which forms part of the heat dissipating or condenser assembly 35. Condensed refrigerant flows downwardly from condenser 3| through a return duct 36 from which refrigerant passes through the trap assembly for the cooler into the latter. Certain features of a refrigerating system of this type are more fully disclosed in the copending application of Lyman F. Whitney, Serial No. 171,325, filed October 27, 1938.

In accordance with this invention, the unit may be provided with an insulating housing 40 in which the boiler H, the major portion of the burner assembly III, the riser duct I2, and the warm ends of the aspirators may be disposed, as

' well as other portions of the piping of the system. The boiler ll may be provided with a stack 4|, a portion of which is'disposed within the insulating housing 40 and is juxtaposed to the lower part of the propellant return pipe 22, while the upper part of the stack'may be disposed outside of the housing and terminate at the upper part of the apparatus. The housing 40 may be provided with a sheet metal outer wall and may be filled with discrete, heat-resistant, insulating material=which surrounds the hot parts of the system. As shown particularly in Fig. 4, the housing 40 is provided with a lower, forwardly projecting extension 40 to receive the front portion of the boiler and the burner assembly I0.

Figs. 6 and 7 show the manner in which the unit is assembled with a cabinet of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and also show in greater detail the internal structure of such a cabinet. It is evident from Fig. 7 that the food compartment of the cabinet is not only provided with the door 3 but with the lower wall 54 and with the rear wall 55 which is spaced forwardly of the rear edges of the side walls I to cooperate therewith in defining an upwardly extending space behind the food compartment. Below the lower wall 54 of the food compartment, the side walls of the cabinet cooperate with this wall and with the removable closure 2 in defining a lower comresponding angle 62 is secured to the housin 40 (Fig. 12). The horizontal flange of angle 62 may be provided with open-ended slots 64 (Fig. 5) which are adapted to hook over the nuts 65 on depending studs 65, (Fig. 12) which extend downwardly from the lower flange of the angle 6|. Thus, when the unit is moved into place, it is supported primarily by these fastening elements and by the angle 62. Accordingly, as shown, the bottom of the housing 40 may be. spaced slightly from the floor, and its extension 40 is received in the lower compartment.

As the unit is movedinto place in'this manner, the box-like closure 21 moves into the opening provided therefor in the rear wall 55 of the food compartment. Suitable detachable fastening means may also be provided at this portion of the assembly to aid in holding the unit in place. Details of such fastening means are more fully disclosed in the copending application of Lyman F. Whitney et al., Serial No. 202,242, filed April 15, 1938.

The upper chamber 5 is provided not only with the side walls l but also with an upper wall 65 (Fig. 7) in the form of a perforate sheet such as a screen of coarse mesh. The upper chamber 5 may conveniently be assembled with the remainder of the cabinet after assembly of the cabinet with the unit.

Figs. '8, 10 and 11 show in greater detail the arrangement of the heat dissipating assembly. This assembly preferably may include not only the warm dissipator or refrigerant condenser 3|, which overhangs the food compartment, but also suitable high temperature dissipators or condensers which are associated with the aspirator assembly. These dissipators normally operate at a temperature substantially above that of con- The arrangement of the piping of denser 3|. the refrigerant condenser is shown more particularly in Fig. 10. The vapor duct 30 is connected to one leg of an inclined U-shaped pipe loop 66,

while the opposite end of this leg has a U-shaped connection 61 with the leg of a similar U-shaped loop, the opposite leg of which communicates with a substantially cylindrical drum 68. A drain 69 is connected to the lower part of the connection betweenvapor pipe 30 and the corresponding leg of the U-shaped loop 66, while a corresponding drain 10 is connected to the U-shaped connection 61; a third drain I! is connected to the lower part of the drum 68.. These drains all receive condensed refrigerant, and the drains 69 and H supply the same to a mercury containing chamber- 12, from which refrigerant .may I pass into the pipe 36, which also receives refrigerant from the drain Ill.

The mercury-containing chamber 12 forms a trap which permits the flow of refrigerant from all parts of the condenser to the refrigerant-return pipe 36, but which prevents the flow of refrigerant vapor through a drain from one section of the condenser to another. Thus the refrigerant vapor is constrained to flow through successive sections of the refrigerant condenser. It may be noted that the pipe sections of the condenser are disposed substantially in a single,

moderately inclined plane. need have only a moderate height. A purger supply tube 14 is connected to the drum 68 to re- Thus the condenser briefly described is of the type more fully disclosed and claimed in the copending application Serial No. 171,647 of Lyman F. Whitney, filed October 29, 1937, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The front wall of the upper chamber 5 is provided with a grill 88 having air admitting slots from which air may rise between the fins of the condenser 3 The'side walls of the upper chamber are also provided with similar grills 8|. In order to ensure the fiow of air into the spaces between adjoining fins, the chamber 5 is provided with a front baiiie member 88 (Fig. '1 in the form of an angle which substantially occupies the space between the front wall of the chamber and the edgespf the adjoining fins, while the sides of the chamber 5 are provided with corresponding baflies 84 and 85. of generally Z-shaped cross section with its intermediate fiange substantially horizontally dis- 8 there preferably is a baflle plate 88 in the form ,of a vertically disposed panel. This panel may be provided with cut-away portions 88' and 86 (Fig. 11) to clear certain pipes, and its lower edge may be juxtaposed to or rest on the upper surface of the upper wall of the food compartment. The rear face of this baflle preferably is provided with a bright, heat-radiating surface such as may be afiorded by a plate of aluminum 81. It is evident that the bame 88 substantially separates the front portion of the upper chamber 5 from the rear portion thereof. The rear portion of this chamber contains two condensers, the arrangement of the piping for these condensers being shown in Fig. 11. These condensers receive vapor from the jackets of the aspirator funnel assemblies.

preferably forms parts of an alcohol containing system which has been evacuated. Accordingly, when the corresponding aspirator funnel becomes hot, alcohol vapor is supplied to the corresponding condenser pipe. For example, as shown, the condenser pipes 88 and 88 may be disposed in substantially parallel planes and be connected to pipes 88 and 88 respectively, which extend downwardly to the first and second-stage aspirator assemblies. The upper ends of the ducts 88 and 88 are connected to drums 88 and 98", which increase the effective capacities of thesecondensers. As shown for example in Fig. 4, the pipes 88 and 88 are provided with cooling fins 8| and 9|, respectively,

The arrangement of the panel 88 and the heat radiating plate 81 permits the condensers 88 and 88 to operate at temperatures substantially higher than that of the refrigerant condenser 3| without resulting in unnecessary'heating of the latter and consequent losses in efiiciency. Furthermore, the heat dissipator or condenser 3| is cooled by the air of the room entering through the grills 88 and 8|, while the high temperature dissipators or condensers 88 and 88 are cooled by air which has passed upwardly about the aspirator The baflie 85 (Fig. 3) may be Each of these condensers the burner l8. It is furthermore evident that the rear wall 55 of the food compartment defines the front of a flue-like passage for air, particularly when the rear of the refrigerator is located close to a wall of a room and, furthermore, that the panel 85 in effect affords a continuation of the front wall of such a passage. It will of course be understood that the perforate upper wall 65 of chamber 5 is continued over the condensers 88 and 88.

It is evident that the housing 48 does not extend for the full width of the space behind the food compartment so that there is a substantial space through which air may pass upwardly into the rear portion of the upper chamber 5, this airobviously serving to cool the fins SI and 8| and the corresponding condenser ducts 88. and 88. In order to permit the fiow of air into the rear space and about these condenser ducts, the lower part of the lower. closure 2 of the cabinet preferably may be spaced somewhat from the fioor, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

It is evident that the propellant boiler and its burner assembly are received in the lower compartment which receives the lower part of the insulating housing .48, including its lower forwardly projecting extension 48'. The space behind the food compartment and between the rearwardly extended side walls I receives the aspirator assemblies and related parts. The high temperatureportions of the system, such as the boiler, the lower part of the stack, the riser duct I2, the heads of the aspirators and associated parts, are effectively insulated within the housing 48, but this housing only extends for a portion of the width of the cabinet so ample space is afforded for the circulation of air upwardly to the condensers 88 and 88. Furthermore, other parts of the system which may be desirably cooled by the rising air, such as the interstage cooler l5, may be located outside of the housing 48. Furthermore, the funnel portions of the aspirators may be located outside of this housing, extending in planes substantially parallel to the rear wall of the food compartment.

The overhanging condenser assembly permits a relatively compact arrangement of air-cooled condensing means. In the preferred form of .the invention, such means includes the refrigerant condenser which overhangs the food compartment. The major portion of the condenser is disposed above the grills 88 and 8| which cooperate with the bailles 83, 84 and 85, in permitting the flow of air upwardly through the spaces between the fins 18 of this condenser. Due to the arrangement of the U-shaped pipe loops, as shown in Fig. 10, the condenser may be quite compactly arranged without requiring an undue increase in the height of the cabinet.

It is evident that the present invention affords a simple and convenient arrangement of a refrigerating system of the aspirator type in a refrigerating unit. This unit may conveniently be provided with heat insulating material for insu-= lating the warm parts of the aspirator assembly as well as the boiler and the like. A unit of this type furthermore is provided with a condenser assembly which may conveniently overhang the food compartment when the unit is assembled with a cabinet of the character disclosed herein.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet including a food compartment and providing a lower chamber and a rear space communicating with said lower chamber, refrigerating apparatus having a base portion containing a vaporizer for propellant, said base portion extending into the lower chamber, the apparatus having an upstanding portion disposed in the rear space and including an aspirator assembly, said assembly including two aspirator funnels, one of which is located above the other, and which have longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the rear wall of the food compartment, the apparatus also including a condenser assembly overhanging the food compartment, the apparatus also being provided with a cooler in the food compartment, said condenser assembly having horizontal dimensions of the order of the corresponding dimensions of the cabinet.

2. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet including a food compartment and providing a lower chamber and a rear space communicating with said lower chamber, refrigerating apparatus having a base portion containing a vaporizer for propellant, said base portion extending into the lower chamber, the apparatus having an upstanding portion disposed in the rear space and including an aspirator, the apparatus including a condenser assembly overhanging the food compartment, the apparatus also being provided with a cooler in the food. compartment, said cabinet including an upper casing for the condenser assembly, said casing having air admitting openings at its sides and front and having a perforate upper wall.

3. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet including a food compartment and providing a lower chamber and a rear space communicating with said lower chamber, refrigerating apparatus having a base portion containing a vaporizer for propellant, said base portion extending into the lower chamber, the apparatus having an upstanding portion disposed in the rear space and including an aspiratonthe apparatus also including a condenser assembly overhanging the food compartment, the apparatus also being provided with a cooler in the food compartment, said aspirator including a funnel with its longitudinal axis lying in a plane substantially parallel to the rear wall of the food compartment.

4. A cabinet of the class described comprising a food compartment, a -lower chamber below the food compartment, the side walls of the cabinet being extended rearwardly at the sides of a rear space behind the food compartment, which space communicates with the lower chamber, the cabinet providing an upper chamber above the food compartment also communicating with said space, the walls of said upper chamber having air admitting openings above the food compartment but spaced from their upper edges, the upper part of the upper chamber being arranged to permit the outflow of upwardly moving air, whereby air entering through said openings may pass upwardly about an air-cooled condenser and outwardly at the top of the upper chamber.

5. The combination comprising a refrigerating unit including a cooler and means to circulate refrigerant through said cooler, said refrigerating unit also including an air-cooled condenser, a cabinet in which said refrigerating unit is disposed, said cabinet including a food compartment and an upper chamber in which the air-cooled condenser is received, said upper chamber having substantially vertical walls with air admitting openings and having an upper part through which air may pass, at least the major part of the condenser being disposed above said openings, there being baflles extending between the condenser and the substantially vertical walls of the upper chamber, so that air entering through said openings rises past the condenser and passes outwardly through said upper part.

6. The combination comprising a refrigerating unit including a cooler and means to circulate refrigerant through said cooler, said refrigerating unit also including an air-cooled condenser, a cabinet in which said refrigerating unitis disposed, said cabinet including a food compartment and an upper chamber in which the air-cooled condenser is received, said upper chamber having substantially vertical walls with air admitting openings and having an upper part through which air may pass, at least the major part of the condenser being disposed above said openings, the condenser comprising a plurality of upwardly and downwardly inclined pipe sections disposed substantially in a single plane and having a moderate inclination, said pipe sections having U- shaped connections therebetween, drains extending from the connections at the lower parts of the pipe sections, and a trap assembly associated with said drains arranged so that condensed refrigerant may drain from each of said sections but so that refrigerant vapor is constrained to flow through the successive sections without passing from one section through a drain to anothersection.

7. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet providing a food compartment, a rear space behind the food compartment and an up: per chamber, a refrigerating system including a heat dissipating assembly in said upper chamber and parts operating at high and medium temperatures respectively, said assembly including a high temperature dissipator and a warm dissipator, means for conducting cooling fluid from said high and medium temperature parts to said high temperature dissipator and warm dissipator respectively, said cabinet being arranged so that upwardly rising air cools both of said dissipators, and means for impeding the flow of heat and of air between said dissipators.

8. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet providing a food compartment, a rear space behind the food compartment and an upper chamber, a refrigerating system including a heat dissipating assembly in said upper chamber and parts operating at highand medium temperatures respectively, said assembly including a high temperature dissipator and a warm dissipator, means for conducting cooling fluid from said high and medium temperature parts to said high temperature dissipator and warm dissipator respectively, said cabinet being. ar-

sipators, the side of the part adjoining the high temperature dissipator providing a surface for refiecting radiant heat, thereby to impede radiant heat from passing from the high temperature dissipator to the warm dissipator.

10. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet providing a food compartment, a rear space behind the food compartment and an upper chamber, a refrigerating system including a heat dissipating assembly in said upper chamber and parts operating at high and medium temperatures respectively, said assembly including a high temperature dissipator and a warm dissipator, means for conducting cooling fluid from said high and medium temperature parts to said high temperature dissipator and warm dissipator respectively, said cabinet being arranged so that upwardly rising air cools both of said dissipators, and a part between said dissipators to impede radiant heat from passing from the high temperature dissipator to the warm dissipator, said high temperature dissipator being disposed over said space to receive air therefrom, the part being disposed over the rear of the food compartment and substantiallyparallel to the rear wall thereof.

11. The combination comprising refrigerating apparatus including a cooler and an aspirator for circulating refrigerant through said cooler, said apparatus also including an air-cooled condenser, a cabinet including a food compartment in which said cooler is located and also including an upper chamber in which the condenser is disposed, the compartment having an upper wall between the cooler and condenser, .the aspirator being located adjoining an upstanding wall of said compartment, the chamber having upstanding walls, at least one of said walls providing an air inlet opening below the major portion of the condenser, and the chamber having an upper part through which the air may pass outwardly. 12. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet including a food compartmentand providing a lower chamber and a space extending upwardly past one wall of said food compartment from said lower chamber, refrigerating apparatus having a base. portion containing a vaporizer for propellant, said base portion extending into the lower chamber, the apparatus having an upstanding portion disposed in said space and including an aspirator, the apparatus also including a condenser assembly overhanging the food compartment, the apparatus also being provided with a cooler in the food compartment, said aspirator including a funnel with its longitudinal axis lying in a plane substantially parallel to the said wall of the food compartment. 13. The combination comprising a refrigerator cabinet providing a food compartment, an upper chamber, an apparatus-receiving space extending upwardly along one side of the food compartment, a refrigerating system including a heat dissipating assembly in said upper chamber and parts operating at high and medium temperatures respectively, said assembly including a high temperature dissipator and a warm dissipator, means for conducting fluid from said high and medium temperature parts to said high temperature dissipator and warm dissipator respectively, said cabinet being arranged so that upwardly rising air cools both of said dissipators, and means for substantially preventing the flow of heated air from the high temperature dissipator to the warm dissipator.

LYMAN F. WHITNEY. 

